Nu-substituted polyacrylamide sizing material composition and method



United States Patent N-SUBSTITUTED POLYACRYLAMIDE SIZING MA- TERIAL COMPOSITION AND METHOD No Drawing. Application May 27, 1953, Serial No. 357,907

Claims priority, application Germany May 29, 1952 5 Claims. (Cl. 260-8) The present invention relates to new sizing material and to a process of sizing yarns of artificial fibers, particularly synthetic fibers.

In accordance with the invention yarns of artificial fibers, especially synthetic fibers are sized by treating them with aqueous solutions of polymerization products of amides of unsaturated fatty acids of low molecular weight, which polymerization products have been rendered water soluble by the action of alkylene oxides or their functional derivatives.

Suitable polymerization products of amides of unsaturated fatty acids of low molecular weight, which have been rendered water soluble as aforesaid, are particularly the polyacrylamides and their N-substituted derivatives, which carry at least one member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and hydroxy alkyl attached to the nitrogen atom. The amides are rendered water soluble by the reaction with alkylene oxides, especially ethylene oxide or its functional derivatives, such as halohydrins or a,a-halogeno-hydroxyether, for instance as described in U. S. application Ser. No. 337,218, filed February 16, 1953, which will be assigned to the same assignee. The fibrous material to be treated 'with the sizing material of the present invention may consist, for instance, of polymerizates, polyesters, polyamides, polyaddition prod ucts or of cellulose acetate.

The necessary amounts of the sizing material and the suitable concentrations of the aqueous solutions to be applied may easily be found out by preliminary tests.

Whereas the sizing materials heretofore used for artificial fibers, particularly for synthetic fibers, have to be applied in comparatively concentrated aqueous solutions, the sizing material of the present invention may be applied in relatively dilute aqueous solutions. The invention thus obviates the troublesome sticking of the fibers during the sizing procedure. Furthermore the danger of an electrostatic charge no longer exists. This constitutes a considerable advantage over the sizing agents prepared from polyvinyl alcohol or acrylic acid esters which may give rise to charges up to 10,000 volts. It is further within the scope of the present invention to increase the activity of the new sizing material by the addition of small amounts of water soluble film forming substances, such as starch, dextrin, glue, sugar or salts of cellulose ether carboxylic acids. These substances simultaneously enhance the stiffness of the sized yarns.

The sizing material may also be used in combination with water soluble waxlike substances, which are obtainable, for instance, by the reaction of polyvalent alcohols, such as hexanetriol, trimethylol propane, or penta-v erythrite, with alkylene oxides, preferably ethylene oxide.

These substances give rise to an excellent smoothness of the sized yarns and help to eliminate the danger of an electrostatic charge of the yarns during sizing and spinning.

The following examples serve to illustrate the present invention without, however, limiting the scope thereof.

Example 1 An aqueous solution containing per liter grams of the water soluble product obtained from ethylene oxide and polyacrylamide in the molecular ratio of 16 to 1 according to Example 1 of U. S. application Ser. No. 337,218, is used to size a caprolactam warp having a setting of 50 threads of the metrical number 225 per centimeter, on a sizing machine. After drying at about 80-100" C. a yarn of very good closeness is obtained. The electrostatic charge of the warp, if occurring at all during the sizing operation, is negligible.

Example 2 An aqueous solution containing per liter 80 grams of the water soluble product obtainedfrom ethylene oxide and polyacrylamide in the molecular ratio of 16 to 1 according to Example 1 of U. S. application Ser. No. 337,- 218, and in addition thereto 20 grams of animal glue and 5 grams of the reaction product of 1550 parts by weight of ethylene oxide and 50 parts by weight of trimethylol propane is used to size a warp consisting of polyacrylonitrile yarns having a setting of 45 threads of the metrical number per centimeter. After drying at 80 C. a yarn of very good closeness is obtained.

The electrostatic charge of the warp, if occurring at all during the sizing operation, is negligible.

We claim:

1. A sizing composition for artificial fibers containing (a) a water soluble N-substituted homopolyacrylamide, wherein said N-substituents are those of the formula R(--OR)-nOH, wherein R is the alkylene residue of an alpha, beta-alkylene epoxide and n is an integer of at least 1 and (b) at least one member of the group consisting of starch, dextrin, glue, sugar, salts of cellulose ether carboxylic acids and wax-like substances obtained by the action of ethylene oxide on polyvalent alcohols.

2. A process of sizing yarns of artificial fibers which comprises treating said yarns with an aqueous solution of a water-soluble N-substituted homopolyacrylamide, wherein said N-substituents are those of the formula --R-(OR)--nOH, wherein R is the alkylene residue of an alpha, beta-alkylene epoxide and rt is an integer of at least 1. r

3. A process of sizing yarns of artificial fibers which comprises treating said yarns with an aqueous solution of a water-soluble N-substituted homopolyacrylamide, wherein said N-substituents are those of the formula --R--(-OR-)1.OH, wherein R is the alkylene residue of an alpha, beta-alkylene epoxidc and n is an integer of at least 1 and at least one member of the group consisting of starch, dextrin, glue, sugar, salts of cellulose ether carboxylic acids and wax-like substances obtained by the action of ethylene oxide on polyvalent alcohols.

4. A process of sizing yarns of polycaprolactam fibers which comprises treating said yarns with an aqueous solution" of a water-soluble N-substituted honiopolyarcrylamide; wherein said N-substituents"are-thoseof the-forresidue of an alpha, beta-alkylene epoxide and n is an integer of at least 1.

, 4. References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,976,679 Fikentscher et a1 Oct. 9, 1934 2,470,081 Thurston et a1. May 10, 1949 2,593,888 Jones Apr. 22, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 111,911 Sweden i; Oct. 13, 1942 OTHER REFERENCES Mitchell et a1.: Organic Analysis, vol. I, pp. 127 and 128,, Interscience, 1953. 

1. A SIZING COMPOSITION FOR ARTIFICIAL FIBERS CONTAINING (A) A WATER SOLUBLE N-SUBSTITUTED HOMOPOLYACRYLAMIDE, WHEREIN SAID N-SUBSTITUENTS ARE THOSE OF THE FORMULA -R-(-OR-)-NOH, WHEREIN R IS THE ALKYLENE RESIDUE OF AN ALPHA, BETA-ALKYLENE EPOXIDE AND N IS AN INTEGER OF AT LEAST 1 AND (B) AT LEAST ONE MEMBER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF STARCH, DEXTRIN, GLUE, SUGAR, SALT OF CELLULOSE ETHER CARBOXYLIC ACIDS AND WAX-LIKE SUBSTANCES OBTAINED BY THE ACTION OF ETHYLENE OXIDE ON POLYVALENT ALCOHOLS. 